18 Reviews by Joel

Myibay

Even if you're not so familiar with e-bay, you've probably heard of bid sniping. Sniping is when a bid is placed within the last few moments of an auction by an ebay user -- preferably within the last ten seconds.

Why is this method so popular?

Ebay calculates the victor of an auction through "incremental bidding". Participants place a "maximum bid" (the most someone is willing to spend) on a desired item. Ebay will then add the minimum required increment to the present bid in order to put someone as a top bidder, depending on their maximum bid. The auction may not even land close to someone's maximum bid at the end, which can allow people to save some cash or go all out if they need to.

With this in mind, using the sniping tactic can do a few things for you:

1) It prevents a "bid war" from occurring, where two or more people spar bidding on an item, inflating the price.

2) It prevents the auction from gaining attention, which will attract more bidders and more wealth.

3) It prevents other people from increasing their maximum bid toward the end.

There are ways to place a bid in the last few moments. You can either do it manually, which takes practice, or rely upon software or third party services. Considering the attention you have to pay when manually sniping, relying upon a third party application or service is much easier. Myibay.com is one such service.

Myibay.com is an easy to use free service and I've found it to be reliable. I've utilized it three times with successful snipe bids placed. The site allows you to monitor snipes and modify them accordingly. When the time to snipe comes, myibay's servers communicate with ebay to send your bid. It's automatic and doesn't require you to be logged in. You can also download a web plugin to allow you to place snipes while browsing ebay auctions.

There is a catch, though. The site requires that you utilize your ebay account name and password. Security is a primary goal, states myibay.com, but again you are trusting your account information into third party hands. According to them, they will not issue your account information to anyone and only utilize it for placing snipe bids. However, they do gather usage statistics.

According to the terms, your password is deleted from their system if you have no active snipes. So, that does add some comfort and security. But again, using them can be a risk. I feel comfortable using them, but some of you may not for this reason.

Myibay.com also offers a down loadable stand-alone program, which is an alternative to their web plug-in.

There are other sniping tools out there you can use. This is just one of many. It certainly caught my attention and I enjoy the service. While you're out exploring for that sniper utility, I would consider myibay.com as you weigh your options. Again, the service is free and based on donations.

(Note: If you would like to read more about scoping out auctions and bidding tips, please check out my review of ebay.com)

Online Action Figure Entertainment

Oafe.net, or Online Action Figure Entertainment, is a website I ran across when I was browsing for reviews pertaining to a certain toy. What a nice find!

Oafe.net is a conglomeration of reviewers who critique a wide variety of toys, which are mostly action figures. Categories of toys include Transformers, Star Wars, Marvel, NECA, McFarlene Toys, GI Joe, and much more.

The articles are observant, fun, and reflect a passion for toys. It's not a wholly professional, out-for-profit medium -- but if you want a perspective from average joes who love their toys, then these guys may be what you're looking for.

Other sections of the website include "Points of Articulation," which is like an editorial of sorts that publishes articles on a wide variety of toy related topics, whether its expressing opinions on a particular toy line or the efforts of a manufacturer. There is also a blog, forums, and link section which can lead you to toy retailer websites, manufacturer websites, and more. Finally, you have a section of the sight dedicated to customized toys, with short descriptions and photos.

Reading reviews on a toy you're looking to buy, particularly one you can't observe in person, is important before investing your money. Showroom photos are far from adequate when judging a toy. Thanks to oafe.net, you may be able to find a review on a particular toy you're interested in to stay ahead of the game and spend your wealth wisely.

I play it safe and read multiple reviews when it comes to toys, but if you want to include a particular source in your research, then oafe.net is a safe bet.

MMORPG

Mmorpg.com is an exhaustive site dedicated to multiplayer video games -- particularly massively multiplayer online roleplaying games (MMORPG). MMORPG's, or MMO's for short, have been developing over the past two decades since the intitial growth spurt of the internet. They've become a way to incorporate video gaming and social interaction over vast distances.

The site contains news, updates, and interviews related to MMO's and their developers. In addition, the site keeps blogs which can assist you with your MMO needs.

By far one of the best features is the list of MMO's they keep updated, or "game list". It lists practically any conceivable MMO, for which you can dive into to learn more. You can find synopsis, links, reviews, features, forums, screenshots, ratings, comments given by players, and more.

MMO's are rated or "hyped" according to player ratings, but I wouldn't take such ratings for face value. They tend to be inflated at times. If you want to get an initial impression of an MMO, go into the ratings section of that MMO and read the player comments.

MMORPG.com also can do a service to your guild. You can create a guild section attached to your MMO within the website. It can be a good way to communicate with other players, discuss the game you play, and attract attention to your guild.

I feel I've only covered the skirts of this website. I would highly recommend checking them out if you want to learn more about hot new MMO's or even discover obscure ones. Whether it's pay-to-play popular titles or free-to-play MMO's, you can find them and learn about them so you know what to expect. Mmorpg.com can help you be prepared.

VNCToys.com

vnctoys.com was a site I found using thefind.com when I was attempting to scour for a particular toy at the right price. Seeing vnctoys.com sell the transformer I sought at a bargain price peaked my interest into exploring the site further.

The scheme of the site has the charm of a dusty attic riddled with a selection of toys. Selections are filtered by brand in the frame on the left. They conveniently open sub-categories when necessary and the search engine helps on finding a hit quickly.

Toy selection ranges from broad to narrow, and vnctoys.com even stocks some toy exclusives (namely Comic Con) and more obscure items for the sparkle-eyed toy collector. Here you'll find your GI Joe, Transformer, and My Little Pony toys and then some. It's not exhaustive in every brand it lists, but it certainly stocks a favorable amount of the more noticeable brands. The prices for the majority of toys appear to be pleasantly fair if not utterly eye-grabbing.

The site and inventory is consistently updated from my shopping experience. You can pay through Paypal namely, which you should keep up to date as your order will ship to your Paypal address. Processing times occurred instantaneously -- you won't have to wait long if you place your order sometime during the business week.

Shipping options are provided through three different avenues:

USPS First-Class Mail Package
USPS Priority Mail
USPS Express Mail

Insuring your shipment is also an option. However, you have to add this to your cart as a basket item. It shakes up your checkout process a little doing so, but paying that buck or two extra is worth it just in case something goes wrong in transit.

My product arrived in a sturdy box proper for the toy. The toy was wrapped in a foam sheet with recyclable paper. I found the packaging adequate, with my product accompanied by a very nice business card expressing gratitude. Mysteriously, I could not find a printed sheet detailing my online order. I don't find that to be a major problem, since my details are online. But, the inclusion of one would have been nice.

All in all, vnctoys.com was a pleasant find and surprise. I found something at a bargain price I couldn't find anywhere else (barring perhaps China, minus shipping). If you're looking for a particular toy of recent make and model, and want to shop from a store in the continental US, I suggest checking out vnctoys.com. They will not disappoint. With a toy selection that promises to expand, checking them out from time to time may be worth your while if they don't have what you want.

I extend many thanks out to Debra, President of vnctoys.com, for giving me a favorable shopping experience.

AnimeSeason

If you're an avid watcher of anime, particularly one who watches anime online, then animeseason.com is definitely a place to scope out.

I accidentally ran across this site a year or two ago when I was attempting watch anime online without charge. This is quite a gem.

It has a selection of mostly newer series -- mostly the late nineties and beyond. Any titles from the mid to late nineties will usually be really popular ones cemented on the site. Some anime films are also included, either stand-alone or ones rooted from an anime series. Practically all of the anime is in japanese dub with English subtitles.

Surfing the site is quite easy as you can navigate or search by keyword or category. Main sections of interest for the site will be recent, on-going anime or full complete series listings. Each anime will have a synopsis and even be rated by users. These ratings will generally be high, however, as most of the anime on the site is good. Not all of it is great, however -- it does have its mediocre shows.

Shows are hosted on multiple mediums, for which you can select most of the time. It depends on where and where the anime is hosted. Optimally you can choose between Mega Video, Flash Player, or Veoh Player. So, animeseason.com pulls from multiple sources if those sources are available and watchable. I find that Flash Player is the best. Veoh Player will usually have lower quality and even have some jitteryness to it sometimes. Mega Video's quality can be good, but it will cap your viewing limit to roughly seventy minutes or so, prohibiting you to watch for free until a certain amount of time has passed. Additionally, Mega Video loads slowly. Occasionally you will run into anime linked to Youtube, so it will be in parts. Those are the most annoying, but they are very rare on the site.

Sites like these are generally flooded with ads and give you that sense that you're swimming in a lake of malware. Animeseason.com doesn't give me that feeling at all. It's easy to navigate and I generally don't encounter ads that want to come slap me in the face.

instantz.net may have a wider selection, but animeseason.com is easier to navigate with generally better quality videos and a selection of players to choose from. If I can find something on animeseason.com first, I definitely go there over other mediums. I find it to be a great place to discover popular new releases, too.

Angolz

Angolz.com is a toyshop based in Hong Kong. They deal in a lot of Japanese toys, and appear to have a pretty good selection. The prices appear to be quite a bargain for some of them, even.

Quite a bit about the website put me down just from browsing. The search engine was quirky and failed to produce accurate hits. Browsing through the endless inventory of items to find what I wanted got rather tiring fast. At least, this is from my experience of browsing with Angolz.com in the past.

I check out the website as I write this review, and low and behold it would appear they've updated the interface to their site. The search engine no longer seems to be quirky and it is much easier on the eye. It still browses in much the same way, but it feels easier. I extend kudos to angolz.

One minor knock against the website is the sheer "out of stock" product labeling that can flare at your face sometimes. Sure, it's appropriate to leave an item listed when it might be restocked -- but when browsing for Macross toys you just find "out of stock, out of stock, out of stock," over and over again. It becomes clear that some items are not simply out of stock, but are probably altogether discontinued from being in the inventory either for the longterm or indefinitely.

Shipping is offered in three methods: Air Mail, Air Parcel, and Speedpost (EMS). The latter two provide an online tracking service.

A-hem. Here is where I come clean about something and are certainly decried for making you read this far. I have not yet shopped from Angolz.com, so I am only able to comment what I have for the above -- the site's interface and what is offered.

However, since it is my goal to develop a rather nice online toy shopping guide, I felt it would be wrong of me to exclude this website as I've seen it advertised and mentioned time and time again among collector circles. Like I've mentioned in the guide's description, one should always do intensive research on online shops outside of your country. In doing research on angolz.com, I've encountered mixed feelings on their services.

That being said, I want to be an unbiased as possible, so I won't write second-hand observations. But, considering what I've found on rumor mill -- I would go the extra mile and do research on customer experiences with Angolz.com before shopping with them. Some have found them reliable, while others have had a poor experience. Again, the point of me listing this site is to not only draw attention to it, but to draw attention to this fact.

I would like to invite others to post comments on their shopping experiences with angolz.com if you've had any. It would certainly be helpful! Thank you.

TheFind

thefind.com is a great tool to use while surfing the web for not only the right product, but the right price. It's easy to use and you can even do a search for online coupons and reviews. It searches thousands of online shops, so it's very thorough.

You can restrict search parameters further to factors such as price ranges, brands, stores that are local to your area and payment methods.

thefind.com can be a great place to find online shops you haven't explored before. In addition, it's awesome to be able to get a price feeler for something. I highly recommend scoping out this site while you shop.

I wouldn't use it as the only means to browse while doing product research, but I've found it to be very helpful.

BBQ Pit Boys

BBQpitboys.com is a great place to learn about recipes for your grilling needs. Namely, charcoal grilling and BBQ.

The layout of the site is a rather messy affair, but amongst the textual information, I find the true source of delicious knowledge existing in their youtube videos. That gruff Texan-accented narration just makes me quiver with delight as they lay it out flat how a pit master gets the job done. They have recipes for a multitude of BBQ related items -- be it beef, poultry, or pork. There's even some videos on grilling tips and tricks.

If you're into grilling or BBQ, or just have a passing interest and want to liven up your culinary skills, I would definitely scope them out.

HasbroToyShop

Ah, hasbrotoyshop.com . This is a mixed bag for some people. Some people have had some bad experience with hasbrotoyshop.com. My experience was adequate, but not altogether thrilling.

If you're a collector of GI Joe or Transformer related product, then you might want to check out the source. They won't have it all (surprisingly), but they may have something you want for a bargain price when compared to other retail sources. However, they will have stuff on sale tailored for collectors, which will be marked high and probably "AFA graded". This can be a disappointment at times when you see the very same figure selling for ten dollars elsewhere without the almighty blessing of the AFA.

Processing times with hasbrotoyshop are rather on the slow side, I feel. Or at least they can be should you choose it to be so. They give you the option of when the product will deliver, so you can expect processing times to focus around that. Shipping is your typical fare and is more or less what is to be expected if you're in the continental United States and want adequate shipping.

Now I want to take the time to share a tale of mine that is more or less related to hasbrotoyshop.com. I ordered two transformers from them -- Universe Deluxes that were going for ten dollars each. A bargain price, I must say, considering they were first issued years ago. One of these transformers was Prowl, whose first wave had an issue of "sticky paint" -- paint that was improperly applied to the translucent plastic portions of the figure. This paint would smudge and basically ruined the buyers day, as you can't tell if you have the sticky paint phenomenon in the box.

Years later, after it the sticky paint problem was supposedly solved in later issues of the toy, the one I get has this problem. Quite a disappointment -- you buy from the source and fail.

Does this relate to hasbrotoyshop.com? Well, more or less -- but it's just nagging things like this that give the online store mixed reviews from folks.

My advice is to check them out and take interest in them if they have something with a price that cannot be matched. They aren't bad, but they aren't exemplary in my book either.

Amazon

Amazon.com can be a great place to shop for a wide variety of products. Their inventory is rooted from a vast number of suppliers and probably more often than not you're actually dealing with them more-so with amazon being a middle-man.

At least, it seems that way to me.

And so, Amazon.com can be a great place to buy things -- even toys. However, the prices for such items can be a bit on the high-end depending on the product. Prices can vary from "new" or even "used".

Where toys are concerned, the prices can be ludicrous depending on when it was issued. Toys that were issued yester-year may be on the limited-side and will have their prices inflated.

Sometimes you can surf through the various vendors that a particular product is catered from, sifting through their prices. Something to be mindful of is that one vendor may appear to be cheaper, but their shipping is higher.

Like ebay, you want to check on the feedback of the seller. Believe of not, even they can disappoint at times. It's rare, but I've had it happen. Sometimes similar looking products can be mixed up and that whole bag. It's not something to be worried about, but aware of what you're prodding at.

So, if you're wishing to acquire that particular item or get a price feel for something, amazon.com can be a good place to scope out along with your other web surfing 'ventures.

eBay

www.ebay.com can be a great place to shop for many things, including toys. I've recently started shopping for toys at www.ebay.com, so from what I'd like to share what I've learned as an amateur batty bidder to help you get started.

When starting out on www.ebay.com, you'll want to link your account to a Paypal account. Most every transaction you make will be through Paypal, and you can either do instant bank transfers or pay by credit card. I would recommend paying by credit card, as that can add a thin layer of protection if a purchase should go awry.

When shopping on ebay, you have to do a lot of research. For example, let's say you're shopping for a toy. First, you want to know every little thing about the toy. You want to know what the toy looks like, what the box art looks like, when it was issued, what it includes -- everything. When you're shopping on ebay you will be buying loose or sealed items, usually looking at user uploaded photos of the product should they be provided. You need to know exactly what you want so you can match them with the photos and their description.

Now, let's say you've found your item. You want to look at several different things when evaluating the posted product:

*The shipping and handling -- make sure the shipping cost is reasonable for the product. If it's ridiculously high, then it's highly suspicious.

*The photos, if provided. Look at them closely if you're able to zoom in. Check to see if there's any damage to the toy. See if there's anything missing with the toy.

*Read the description of the toy. Read it twice. If they mention any problems with your product, you may want to consider contacting the seller to get specifics. If they mention loose joints on an action figure, ask them which ones. If they mention scratched stickers or paint and you can't see them in the photo, contact them for more information.

Do not be afraid to contact the seller and ask them questions! You're dealing with regular peeps on E-bay and not all of them have a professional portrayal of what they're selling.

*Check the seller's feedback. When people make purchases or sell things, they can be left by feedback from other users. If the person has recent negative feedback or no feedback at all, you should avoid them.

Now, there's a variety of things about bids and buying you should know about. I doubt I'll cover it all, but hopefully I can get the bread and butter out of the way for ya.

There's two common ways to acquire something off of ebay. For one, there is the "buy it now" option, which is straightforward. By clicking on this option you commit to buying the product. It does not pay for it immediately. However, I recommend paying for your purchase, soon.

And then there's the auction dealie. Ebay works by using incremental bidding. What does this mean? Since it isn't a live auction, per say, they conveniently have everyone place a "max bid". In other words, they place the maximum amount they're willing to bid during an auction. It will then place a bid in order to keep you at the top bid, while calculating everyone else's max bids. That is unless the bidding exceeds your max bid.

For example, a "Shiny-Thingy-Ma-Doo" may be bidding at $0.99. You find yourself willing to pay $10.00, so you place that as your maximum bid. The bid then shoots up to $2.00 or what not -- it places a bid on your behalf in an increment to make you the top bidder.

There is some beauty to this. Let's say the auction ends at $2.00 dollars, with you at the top bid. You'll only have to pay $2.00, and not the full $10.00 you placed as your max bid.

When placing your max bid however, here's a tip. Don't make it an even, guessable number. You can lose a bid by a couple of cents! If you are willing to bay $10.00, make it $12.87 or some bizarre number. By adding a few dollars and cents, you increase the chances of winning a bid should no one's max exceed yours. A lame schmo might place $10.00, or a more clever schmo might place $11.90, but by adding those few radical dollars you've topped them all.

Finally, let's talk about how to place a bid. There's the decried method of "sniping", which is manually or automatically placing your max bid in the last few moments of an auction. Sniping is a great, if not rueful method to win an auction.

*It prevents people from increasing their max bid should yours top theirs.
*It prevents a bid war from occurring -- people inflating the price as they bid back and forth over and item.
*Fewer bids on an item means it has less attention. An item with lots of bids on it will attract more attention, which means more bidders and more money.

To learn how to snipe I suggest you scour the interwebs for more guides. It can be done manually or with utilities. As for what utility I use to snipe, I recommend www.myibay.com . They can place bids for you without you having to be present. I've found them to be reliable.

I invite more experienced ebayers to comment. I recommend reading up on more guides if you're new to ebay or toy shopping, just as well. But, I hope that this little guide can help you on your merry way to happy shopping on ebay -- for it's a great auction house indeed.

Super Toy Archive

toyarchive.com is just the place you need to go if you want to explore those toy lines you gushed over be it the 70's, 80's, or 90's.

It includes many of the popular, and even somewhat forgotten, toy lines that made people's childhoods so unique. Pictures and descriptions are provided for each toy line. As a knowledge base, finding that particular toy or toy line that faceted you as a kid is made easy. It certainly helped me rediscover a particular toy line my brother and I had forgotten in name, but knew by aesthetic.

You can also purchase toys from the site. However, this review is incomplete as I cannot comment on that experience.

Overall, it's a nice database. It may have a primitive layout, but it gets the job done. Where shopping is concerned, I'll have to leave that to another individual to comment. Otherwise -- check them out if you're interested in those ye-old toys of decades past.

LA

www.abctoy4me.com was something I found when I was attempting a find a Japanese toy for an economic price. Low and behold, they held the item I sought and for a really nice price. Heck, it was a steal. The fact that this shop was in the continental United States helped matters where shipping was concerned. No need to deal with customs and the like.

They have a nice selection of Japanese toys. Price ranges will vary. Generally your more expensive items will range on the extreme end of the spectrum of expensive, while some of your lower priced items will be at a good if not bargain price. If you're seeking Revoltechs, Figmas, or figures of that caliber -- I think they're worth checking out. Surfing the site can be a little tedious with its simplistic layout, but it's not horrible nor detrimental.

Order processing took a business day or two and shipping arrived promptly. Products were as advertised.

This site is a great place to check out if you're trying to find a Japanese toy and don't want to haggle with international sellers. They may not have everything, but if they have what you want odds are you can get it from them at a more convenient price and shipping time. If you worry for the validity of this toyshop, you can put those worries to rest.

Forbidden Planet NYC

At first I wasn't sure what to think of this webzone. It appeared almost no one had commented on it on the entire interwebs. The layout looked decent enough, and the enlightening "about us" of the website appeared promising. Having a NECA Castlevania action figure within my sights, I opted to make a purchase.

Pricing is rather decent for most items. The selection is vast, ranging from comic books to toys to more comic books to apparel to manga and more. Shipping prices were fair, and their processing time was timely.

When my order arrived in good time, it was packaged with a bunch of comic books. That was quite delightful, considering that no only were they bent on rendering good service, they wanted to draft me as a repeat customer.

Heck, I won't complain. Being a toy collector, if I find another item to suit my fancy, I'll certainly come back!

I certainly recommend this comic and toy shop if you find an item that fancies you.

HobbyLink Japan

I am particularly interested in Japanese toys, such as Bandai, Yamato, and Kaiyodo's Revoltech line. If you're out for that bag, then look no further.

The layout and search functions of the site are wonderful. The account menus are great. Their inventory is awesome and not flooded with "out-of-stock" items like some webzone retailers. Sure, it will display such items, but you have to do some digging to find them. It isn't anything like Angolz.com in that regard.

The prices are pretty good for what they have to offer. Often times too they will have sales on their inventory and offer some smashing prices for those luxury collectable toys, like Yamato's Valkyries. Hang in there and you can find some great, great buys.

I think the thing that blew me away was the shipping. They offer a variety of shipping options if you're in the continental US, but I highly recommend going with Federal Express shipping. There may be cheaper, much slower alternatives, but Federal Express will get your order in no time flat. They're the ninjas of the shipping world. I've had an order from HLJ.com with Federal Express that beat UPS ground shipping. Sure, comparing speedy air-mail with ground shipping probably isn't fair -- but I am still impressed that something on the other side of the planet got here faster than something within the continental United States.

Oh, but I feel I'm getting off track a bit. HLJ.com processes orders in good time and you can use a variety of payment methods.

In a nutshell, if you're seeking an international hobby shop that has those overseas toys you crave, go with HLJ.com. They can get you that eastern taste of plastic faster than anyone else on the planet. You will not be disappointed.

Collectorsgateway

Collectorsgateway.com is an online collectable shop that deals in comic books, toys, apparel, and much more. Located in Pennsylvania, they even have a store located at a mall. It appears they operate an online retail site on the side.

Ordering is easy and the product prices appear to be fair for the most part. Shipping prices will vary depending on what you order, but appear to be fair just as well. Shipping is prompt and my purchase was processed within twenty four hours. If you're shopping in the continental United States, you shouldn't have a problem at all.

I did hit a snag, however. One of the products I ordered was marked "in-stock". This was not true. However, a courteous and professional woman promptly gave me a call and informed me of the dilemma and presented me with options on how I wanted to proceed. She immediately refunded the product that was unavailable and continued to ship the rest of the order.

It was a bummer to find that their site was not up to date at the time, but they handled the problem rather professionally and went out of their way to call me personally. I really give props for that.

Is it a common occurrence for them to accidentally advertise in-stock items? I am not 100% sure. However, I got a great vibe from their service and would certainly do business with them again. I would recommend checking them out if there's a comic book or toy you require to satiate your needs.

TransformerLand

When you waltz into Transformerland.com you certainly get an inviting feeling like you've stepped into a small mom-and-pop shop tailored for a specialty niche. However, that is just a front, as behind that small shop entrance is a warehouse of Transformers galore. It's fun to spend time oogling through the archives of Transformers toydome, looking at both sealed and loose transformers products. You can find things from actual toys to accessories and sticker sheets.

If you're seeking a particular Transformer or an accessory to complete that old G-1 toy, I would recommend checking them out. If you're seeking a newer toy, they've got some of that stuff, too. You can negotiate prices or ask questions, just as well. Searching and surfing through their wares is nice and easy, thankfully.

Shipping is prompt and any concerns are quickly addressed. I got a genuine sense that they care for their customers from my interactions with them. Highly recommend checking them out if you're a Transformers collector or even if you have a passing interest.

YaHobby

YaHobby.com is an online Toy Hobby Shop that ships from China. The initial presentation of the website is promising enough. The prices for most of their products seem economic and their selection is great. However, pleasant appearances are only skin deep. At least, from my one shopping experience.

The shipping section of the website states, "Your in-stock orders are shipped within two business days from the day of your purchase." My items were marked as in-stock when I ordered them.

It took three business days before my order began being "processed." After that, a week had passed without a single update. As a result, I clicked on their "contact-us" link and posted a note inquiring as to the status of my order. I received no response in two days. Doing some research on the grapevine, I discovered that response times pertaining to customer service occur with laxity if at all. Having paid with Paypal, I opened a dispute in an attempt to gain the sellers attention and information concerning my purchase.

Response was prompt and mildly courteous. Apparently, one of my in-stock items was out-of-stock and they were waiting for a restock before shipping my order. They failed to notify me of this until I asked. Promising the order would ship soon, I allowed the process to continue. I have yet to receive my product, due to the method of shipping available.

Speaking of which, shipping is limited depending on what you're buying and where you are, from what I can gather. People in the continental US will encounter a standard international flat rate shipping, which can start automatically anywhere from 15 dollars to more. Usually 20. The shipping cost can really bump on the price of what you're purchasing if you live outside of China, and make those economic prices look less inviting for sure.

Shipping estimates will vary with them as well, due to the methods of shipping available. You can expect to receive your order within 2-4 weeks if you're living in the continental US.

There's a lot out there on the rumor mill as far as YaHobby.com is concerned. I would suggest doing some more research if you've found a product on YaHobby.com that you must absolutely have, so you know what to expect when bartering with them.

I can understand dealing with long-shipping with shopping international. However, falling short of one's promises as well as failing to notify a customer the true status of their order is not up to the professional standard I would expect from an online retailer. Added to limited shipping with rates that can pile up for long shipping times along with an inventory that isn't up to date makes for a poor shopping experience.